Stage Deli’s Closing Ends a Restaurant War has the unfortunate news about this New York institution. I have always been a Carnegie Deli man myself, but the pair co-existed in what seemed like an important deli ecosystem, and its closing and my associated regrets make me feel a little old. And I was already on track for feeling that way, as we met some friends for dinner last night, and because they needed to get back to their kids relatively early, we had a 6:30 reservation, which made me feel a little like Jerry Seinfeld going to dinner with his parents after the early bird special... "Bernie, look who's eating at six o'clock!"

Preparing pastrami is not unlike BBQ, it varies from place to place, and people have their preferences. Many are fine with supermarket pastrami just as they are fine with prepackaged supermarket barbecued ribs, and I don't see any reason to look down on that. Likewise, I see no reason for reverse snobbery in favor of grocery food.

I don't favor grocery food. I favor the cheapest foods I can get that have acceptable enough flavor. If I ever hazarded a trip to NYC I'd likely stock a cooler of foods to smuggle across the border because NYC food (and everything else) is so notoriously expensive.

And I know people have preferences, but it more often than not goes beyond that and into the realm of xenophobia, a realm oft populated by we humans. In itself it doesn't hurt people thinking their regional food is "better" than others', but it doesn't stop at food. A few weeks ago I was arguing this point in regard to the election.

Anyways to illustrate my point today in the paper was an article about an uppity section of Cleveland protesting the proposed construction of a McDonalds. Now one could protest McDonalds on the grounds that they may treat animals poorly or systematically abuse workers, but these people were all waving signs proclaiming their local food didn't deserve to be tainted by the presence of a monolithic institution like Mickie D's. There's something supremely ironic about Americans, the driving force behind globalization, waving around signs condemning McDonalds. McDonalds, the restaurant synonymous with Americana the world over.

Even better was the movement just a few years back by food producers of Lebanon to have hummus declared a protected, national food. Lebanon said Israel (which has become a center of hummus production) stole hummus from them (never mind it has been a staple food of that entire region for centuries).

PHJF wrote on Dec 3, 2012, 10:48:I think you need to shop around. Pastrami isn't some kind of wonky exotic meat prep method, it's just brining and smoking. I've mentioned here how a local mart carries turkey pastrami at $5/pound that is damn good. I just wouldn't put a whole pound of it on one sandwich. That's just stupid.

This is another instance of cultural divide in food, something metro residents are famous for promoting. Talk to anyone from NYC and they'll insist there's no such thing as pizza outside the NY state line.

The makeup of the local water goes a long way towards how some foods taste. There is obviously pizza outside of New York, but there's a general acceptance that it doesn't taste the same the farther you go from the area.

Preparing pastrami is not unlike BBQ, it varies from place to place, and people have their preferences. Many are fine with supermarket pastrami just as they are fine with prepackaged supermarket barbecued ribs, and I don't see any reason to look down on that. Likewise, I see no reason for reverse snobbery in favor of grocery food.

Mr. Tact wrote on Dec 2, 2012, 19:49:Have never understood the idea behind late suppers. Supper time in my family has been 5 pm as far back as my memory.. several decades.

The most confusing part of this is that you "never understood" it. It isn't a hard concept. Aside from all the arguments here that eating at 5 is physically impossible for most families, there's also the argument that many adults are awake until midnight or later. Cramming a meal in at 5, staying awake another 7 or 8 hours then sleeping 6 or 7 hours seems inefficient.

I think you need to shop around. Pastrami isn't some kind of wonky exotic meat prep method, it's just brining and smoking. I've mentioned here how a local mart carries turkey pastrami at $5/pound that is damn good. I just wouldn't put a whole pound of it on one sandwich. That's just stupid.

This is another instance of cultural divide in food, something metro residents are famous for promoting. Talk to anyone from NYC and they'll insist there's no such thing as pizza outside the NY state line.

With all the ache of seeing such a place close I must say they really lagged behind carnegie.. my wife and I went there once and didn't come back.. they were always half empty while carnegie stayed packed. It looked like a place that had it's best days behind it.. Nevertheless, it is a shame, and if Carnegie will go that way it would be a real shame.

B) Reading that article got me all hungry for so I went to the grocery store got some corned beef, Montreal smoked meat, a loaf of rye and some coleslaw. Just too bad they didn't have any knishes or latkes. Would it kill them to make a nice mazo ball soup? Oi vey!

“That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!”

If I had to be at the office 9-5, I'd simply immediately eat upon getting home (a 5-10 minute drive) -- or head to a restaurant directly from work. Actually, that was true for a year or two, and that is exactly what I did. Rarely had dinner after 6.

Mr. Tact wrote on Dec 2, 2012, 21:09:I have the same schedule now. I'm usually at work between 6:15 and 6:45, I usually lunch at 11, leave work between 3 and 4, and eat supper at 5. Got used to eating lunch at 11, when I was in the military, just easier to be first in line at the mess hall. That was reinforced when I got out and worked on/near the University campus of the town I still live in. Then you wanted to be in the food establishment before the students got out of their 10-11 class. Otherwise it was often a long wait...

Behold! The idea behind late suppers! You don't have to get to work at 6am.

I have the same schedule now. I'm usually at work between 6:15 and 6:45, I usually lunch at 11, leave work between 3 and 4, and eat supper at 5. Got used to eating lunch at 11, when I was in the military, just easier to be first in line at the mess hall. That was reinforced when I got out and worked on/near the University campus of the town I still live in. Then you wanted to be in the food establishment before the students got out of their 10-11 class. Otherwise it was often a long wait...

Cutter wrote on Dec 2, 2012, 20:32:How is that even possible? Even for most people who do 9 - 5 they don't get home until 6 or later, like to unwind and stuff. Dinner for me has always been 8 or 9 pm.

*shrug*

My dad was in the military, he was home by 5 for supper. My mother was a stay at home mom at that time. So, it wasn't a problem for her to have supper ready at 5. He "retired" from the military when I was 10. At that time my mother started a career at the local university where we moved to. Then my sisters and I were required to do meal prep as chores. Start potatoes boiling, taking a roast out of the fridge and putting it in the oven, whatever. My dad had a "part-time" job which enabled him to be home early if there was something we kids couldn't handle. It actually got pushed back to 5:30 then for weekdays, but was 5:00 on the weekends.

Rattlehead wrote on Dec 2, 2012, 16:31:Am I the only one that finds pubic hair on a woman more arousing than if she shaved? I'm not talking about a full grown forest, just some fuzz to show that she is a woman, and not a preteen.

Tell me this has nothing to do with the "How to kill a mustache" headline...